- October 4, 2024
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Florida Power & Light has bought 3,397 acres of agricultural land in Myakka City.
According to a copy of the deed posted on Manatee County's court records website, the power company paid $30 million for a total of eight parcels. County property records identify the parcels as being at 73rd Avenue East, Juell Gill Road, Wauchula Road and Roy Moore Road.
A Sarasota-Manatee FPL official referred calls to the FPL media relations. FP&L did not respond to multiple requests for comment about what it intends to do with the land.
But according to the company’s “Ten Year Power Plant Site Plan: 2023-2032” submitted in April to the Florida Public Service Commission, it has big plans for the county.
According to the report, FPL is building three solar facilities in Manatee County: the Long Creek Solar Energy Center on 1,236 acres; the Three Creeks Solar Energy Center on 700 acres; and the Sambucus Solar Energy Center on 482 acres. Three Creeks and Sambucus have field construction start dates set for this year, the report states. Long Creek has construction start date of 2024.
There could be a fourth Manatee project as well. FPL lists the Flatford Solar Energy Center in the county on a list of potential sites, though it does not provide any specifics.
FPL is major property owner with dozens of properties in Manatee County, so it is not immediately clear if the recently purchased properties are being set aside for some or any of these projects.
Here, based on the Parcel ID numbers in county records, are the properties FPL bought:
The land was previously owned by Grove City Investments, which bought the tracts in 2015 paying $17 million, according to property records.